Will it be another nail-biter for the Blanquivermells?
Rayo Vallecano, the small club from Madrid’s Vallecas district, made history on Thursday evening by qualifying for the Conference League final. While the Franjirrojos are the clear underdogs against Crystal Palace in Leipzig, anything can happen in a single match.
In La Liga, the Madrid side could still climb to seventh place, which would secure another season of international competition regardless of the outcome of the final. For that to happen, however, Rayo Vallecano must win against Girona.
The case for this is that the Blanquivermells have lost three league games in a row and, having picked up just one point out of a possible twelve from their last four league matches, are suddenly fighting for survival again. Girona is now in 16th place, just two points ahead of Alaves.
However, against a Madrid side that is likely to adopt a defensive approach—having kept a clean sheet in four of their last five competitive matches—the Catalans must not walk into a trap. Everything points to a low-scoring Monday night match. We therefore opt for the neutral Rayo Vallecano vs. Girona prediction of under 2.5 goals.
That said, it’s entirely possible that their historic run to the Conference League final will now give the Franjirrojos a boost, which is why the odds of 2.40 listed in the Betano app for Tip 1 certainly offer value.
However, for those who want to hedge against the possibility of a draw—which could also potentially help the visitors from Catalonia in their relegation battle—an alternative is to bet on the Match Combo for Double Chance 1X with under 3.5 goals.
Rayo Vallecano – Girona Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head: 12 – 7 – 12
A total of 31 matches have taken place between the two clubs so far, and the resulting record is completely even at twelve wins and seven draws each. Rayo Vallecano has remained unbeaten in La Liga against Girona FC in their last three meetings (two wins, one draw). The Madrid side also won the first leg in Catalonia 3-1.
Rayo Vallecano – Girona Prediction
Purely based on momentum, the prediction for Rayo Vallecano vs. Girona must lean toward the home side, who, although currently in 11th place, are still in the running for European qualification spots, trailing seventh place by just two points.
It seems unlikely that the Franjirrojos will be focusing prematurely on the Conference League final they’ve reached. Nevertheless, we don’t expect the Madrid side—who have scored just 35 goals in 34 league games (one fewer than Girona)—to go all out.
Neither team is exactly known for high-scoring matches, which makes the prediction that a maximum of two goals will be scored in Madrid’s Vallecas district very interesting. This is also supported by the fact that the Franjirrojos have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five competitive matches across all competitions.
